


I Think I'll Take A Second Chance

by darkangel86



Series: My Sunshine [13]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Downworlder Dad Magnus Bane, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Drama, Family Feels, Friendship/Love, Hugs, Hurt Simon Lewis, Insecure Simon Lewis, M/M, Misunderstandings, OOC Magnus Bane, Protective Alec Lightwood, Protective Jace Wayland, Sad Magnus, Simon Lewis & Alec Lightwood Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-17
Updated: 2018-02-17
Packaged: 2019-03-20 12:33:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13717767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkangel86/pseuds/darkangel86
Summary: Simon had been living in the loft with Magnus, Alec and Jace long enough to know when something wasn't right. Technically he didn't think anything was wrong. More that something was... off. With Magnus.





	I Think I'll Take A Second Chance

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't expect this series to go on this long and 'You Are My Sunshine' is an extremely short song so I've run out of lyrics I can use as titles. Heh. Starting here and until its finished the lyric titles will come from David Archuleta's song 'Numb'. :)

Simon had been living in the loft with Magnus, Alec and Jace long enough to know when something wasn't right. Technically he didn't think anything was wrong. More that something was... off. With Magnus. 

Simon had first noticed it a few days ago when he'd come in late from a night out with Jace. It wasn't unusual for Magnus to be awake at all hours of the night but since Alec had moved in officially the warlock seemed to be able to rest more easily with the tall Shadowhunter by his side.

As they'd come stumbling in the front door, both grinning and pulling at each other's shirts, Simon had almost immediately spotted Magnus, sitting alone on the couch, a glass of amber liquid in his hand. Shrugging out of Jace's hold, Simon had attempted to straighten his shirt, grinning a lopsided grin as he made his way in Magnus' direction. Another quick glance showed that for once, the other man seemed to be completely void of his signature makeup. Maybe that wasn't as odd as it struck Simon. It was nearing 3am, after all.

“Hey, Magnus, sorry we're so late,” Simon had said, his voice seeming to startle Magnus so much he jumped, sloshing his drink onto his hand. “Uh. Sorry.”

“Hm? Oh. Simon. I didn't hear you come in.” Magnus said, sounding distracted. Simon had paused because, since when did Magnus call him by his actual name? It had been a sort of running joke for months now, that even after all this time, Magnus still didn't know his name. Maybe he was just tired. Maybe he was- “Did you need something? If not then I'd actually prefer to be left alone.” And that had stopped the vampire in his tracks.

“Uh. Sure. S-sorry for bothering you.” Simon had stuttered out before turning and letting himself be pulled down the long hallway bu Jace towards their bedroom. Of course, between Jace's lips and Simon's libido, Magnus' brushoff had been quickly forgotten.

Until a few days later though, when Simon sat on his knees nearly speechless, tears welling up in his eyes as he looked up at where Magnus stood, towering over him, face contorted in anger. It was the first time Simon had ever seen the warlock's true eyes and as breathtaking as they were, seeing the bright yellow slits staring unhappily down at him set Simon's teeth on edge.

“I-I didn't m-mean-” Simon started, stuttering in shock over the words that had just left Magnus' lips.

“You never _mean_ anything!” Magnus snapped, and Simon jumped, falling backwards onto his behind. “Its not as if I ask much of you to begin with and yet you still somehow manage to make a complete mess of everything! I have had enough.”

“Magnus.” Simon's voice broke, the tears in his eyes rolling down his cheeks. “Please. I.”

“No. I meant what I said. You've been here long enough and I think its time you moved on. You're a grown man, Simon, vampire or not. I'm not your father and I'm not your friend. I won't keep placating you just to keep you happy. In fact, I think its time you go home.” In his current state of shock, Simon missed the way Magnus' voice broke over the word home.

“I don't understand.” Simon whispered, his voice barely audible over his sniffles.

“How much more plain can I make it?” Magnus said, voice so unlike the warlock that Simon had come to know and love. “Pack your things and leave. Go home, go anywhere but here. I have an appointment that I can not miss and must leave for now so I expect you gone by the time I return. Is that clear enough?” Magnus asked and Simon nearly choked on his reply, instead choosing to nod his head up at the older man. “Good.” And with that, Magnus was gone through a portal he'd seemingly blinked into existence.

Sitting on the floor, shattered glass all around him, Simon drew his knees up to his chest and cried.

That was how Jace found him half an hour later when he and Alec burst though the front door, both laughing uproariously.

“Simon? Simon!” Jace yelled as he dropped his weapons haphazardly by the door and rushed to Simon's side. Dropping harshly to the floor, he reached out tentatively and placed his hands on Simon's shaking shoulders. “Simon, what's wrong? What happened?” Jace asked in a hurry, risking a glance up when he heard Alec's footsteps stop just beside of him.

Almost as if someone had flipped a switch inside of Simon, he jerked himself out of Jace's reach and stood. His face was pale, paler than it normally was and his eyes were bloodshot, tear streaks staining his face.

“I, I have to go. I have to leave. I have to go home.” Simon said, his voice so monotone it sounded fake coming from him.

“What? Leave?” Jace asked quizzically. “Why? Where are you going? What happened here? Why is there broken glass all over the floor and where's Magnus? I thought he was staying in tonight?” 

“He. He left. I broke a glass. I didn't mean to. I was, I was excited to tell Magnus' something and I accidentally bumped into him and he,” Simon hiccuped as a fresh wave of tears began to fall from his eyes. “I have to go. Um, he said to be gone before he got back.”

“Simon, you're not making any sense,” Jace said with a sigh. “Who said to leave? Why did they tell you to leave?”

“Magnus. He told me I had to leave.” Simon said, his voice breaking a little more with each word. In front of him he heard Alec gasp.

“No. There's no way.” Alec said without hesitating. “So you broke a damn glass! He can magic it back together! Where is he?” He asked, already in the process of pulling out his phone to dial his lover's number.

“He said I had to leave.” Simon said again as he reached up to wipe at the tears that were still falling from his eyes.

“No. There is no way-” Alec started, cutting himself off when it seemed like Magnus had answered his call. “Magnus. You need to call me. Now. Why did Jace and I come in and find Simon in the middle of a break down on the floor? Why is he saying you told him to leave?! Magnus, where are you?!” Alec yelled, before ending the call and staring blankly down at it in his hand.

“Simon-” Jace started as he reached out for him but Simon quickly shook the other man off.

“I'm going, um, to pack my stuff. I don't know, I don't know what's wrong or what I did but this isn't, I can't stay here if Magnus doesn't want me here. I thought, but no, I guess not.” Simon turned on his heel and left the two others standing there, completely at a loss for words.

It couldn't have taken more than five minutes to throw what little he had into a backpack. He'd lived in the loft for months and still only had the barest of necessities. A few shirts, a couple pairs of pants, his old song lyric notebooks, his cell phone and a tangled up pair of earbuds. That was apparently what his life consisted of now. Simon blinked back the newest set of tears that were filling his eyes. What was the point in crying now? He had nothing and he apparently didn't have anyone. It didn't take a genius to figure out that if Magnus wanted him gone, it wouldn't be long before Alec felt the same way, if he didn't already and Jace was Alec's Parabatai so again, Simon didn't see how his leaving would be bothering him for long. 

“...know what the fuck is going through your boyfriends' head, Alec but Simon is not leaving!” Jace was shouting as Simon reentered the living room. The broken glass was nowhere to be found so maybe he had been gone for longer than five minutes.

“It doesn't make any sense, Jace! Magnus wouldn't just kick Simon out!” Alec yelled back as he continued to pace back and forth across the living room floor, his phone still clutched tightly in his hand.

“But he did.” Simon said, speaking up. He watched as both Jace and Alec froze, their wide and disbelieving eyes turning to face him. “I don't know what I did to make him mad, um not really. He uh, he's been acting distant with me for a while now, maybe a week or so but I didn't think I'd actually done anything to cause it. But I must have, right? Cause I thought, silly stupid me, I thought that I had finally found a place where I fit. I thought I'd found people that cared about me and wanted me around but that's obviously not the case.” Simon chuckled sadly as he held tightly to the straps of the backpack, looking more lost than either of the other men could ever remember seeing him look.

“Simon-” Alec started as he took a step closer to him.

“No. I. I'm going to leave. Magnus asked me to go so I'm going. Tell him, please tell him that I'm sorry for whatever it is I did to make him angry. I didn't mean it. I uh, I love you guys.” And with that, Simon was gone, out the door at a speed neither of the Shadowhunters could ever hope to catch up to.

“What the fuck just happened?” Jace asked as he turned to look up at Alec. Instead of answering, Alec once again dialed Magnus' phone number. Something wasn't right and he would be damned before he left it alone.

~*~*~*~*~

Home. It was such a simple word and yet, to Simon, it meant nothing more than broken promises and lies. He supposed that was why he found himself standing outside of his mother's house. It was late but not too late for his mom to be in bed apparently as he could see her clearly through the front window.

He'd lied to his mom almost a year ago, when he'd been bitten, because obviously there was no way he could go home like that. A creature of the night, a newly turned vampire, living at home with his mother? Because that didn't sound like a huge mistake at all, did it?

Turning away before Simon's mother could see him, he ran down the nearest alley hoping to stay out of sight, only to run directly into Alec.

“What the-? Alec? What are you doing here? How did you find me?” Simon asked as he took a second to regain control of his balance.

“You said Magnus told you to go home.” Alec explained. “I thought you might end up here so I waited.”

“Why?” Simon asked as he slumped back against the wall behind him.

“Because, despite what you might be thinking right now, your home is halfway across town in that loft.” Alec said angrily. “And as much as I love Magnus, he's wrong. For whatever reason he has for sending you away, he's wrong.”

“Alec, I-”

“No! He's wrong, Simon.” Alec said as sincerely as he could. “We've been through too much together for, for whatever has suddenly happened with him to run you off. I won't let it and I won't let him. You're family, Simon and as much as I never expected it, I wouldn't change it for anything.”

“Alec. Thank you.” Simon said weakly, his voice breaking even as he threw himself into Alec's waiting arms.

“I'm bringing you home, Simon. Its where you belong.” Alec said firmly and Simon easily let himself be led back in the direction of the loft, the Shadowhunter's firm arm wrapped securely around Simon's shoulders the entire way.

~*~*~*~*~

When Magnus entered his home much later that evening it was to a sight that he wasn't exactly expecting. Sprawled across their couch lay Simon, his head resting in Jace's lap while his feet and legs were stretched out across Alec's. Magnus sighed. He should have known this wasn't going to be as easy as he'd hoped.

“I don't know what's gotten into you, Bane, but you better sit your ass down and start explaining. Fast.” Jace said, startling Magnus into tripping over what appeared to be a backpack that looked like it had been hastily discarded where it lay.

“Excuse me?” Magnus asked once he'd righted himself.

“You told Simon to leave. Why?” Jace demanded, quietly, as he continued to run a hand through a sleeping Simon's hair. His stare was icy and Magnus' involuntarily shivered at the cold look.

“I don't believe I have to explain myself to you, Jonathan.” Magnus replied, his tone clipped.

“What about me?” Alec spoke up startling Magnus once again. Wide, disbelieving eyes turned on him and Alec inclined his head down at Simon in question. “We found him in the middle of a breakdown, Magnus. He was sitting in the floor, in the middle of shattered glass crying and when we finally got it out of him why, he said it was because you'd told him to leave. Now, maybe you don't have to explain it to Jace but what about me? Explain it to me.” He dared his lover.

Magnus stood gaping, his mouth opening and closing but no words coming out. Of course he'd known that neither of them men in front of him would let this pass without questions but he'd thought, with as cold and cruel as he'd been to Simon earlier, that the young boy would've been long gone before anyone else returned home and maybe, maybe it could buy Magnus some time to explain his actions to them because he was sure that if they knew what he did, they'd have agreed with him! Or at the very least, understood why he'd done what he'd done.

“Alexander. Please.” Magnus said desperately. 

“Please, what?” Alec asked and Magnus could see the hand that was resting on Simon's ankle tighten ever so slightly. “What could possibly posses you to kick Simon out of his home?! Unless...” Alec trailed off, his eyes widening slightly as he looked up at the warlock in front of him. 

“Fatty tuna.” Magnus said without a seconds hesitation, watching as Alec's released a deep shuttering breath. “Of course I'm me, Alexander. Not possessed, not ill, just me.”

“Then why? What did he do that was so bad you told him to leave?” Alec demanded and Magnus sighed. There was no way he was getting out of this.

“Of course he didn't do anything, darling.” Magnus said, his eyes downcast. “There isn't a thing he could ever do that would make me force him out-”

“He did something!” Jace snapped. “Because you did exactly that! You told him to leave! How could you do that to him, Magnus?! I thought you cared about him!”

“Of course I do, you silly child!” Magnus hissed angrily. “I love him! Just as I love you! So do not ever presume to know why am I doing what I'm doing! I do what I have to, to protect all three of you! You are my family! I would give my life for each of you without a moments hesitation!”

“Then explain it to us, Magnus, because we're lost.” Alec asked and Magnus knew he'd never be able to deny this man anything. 

“Last week, when I went out with Isabelle and Clarissa, we ran into... into Simon's mother.” Magnus admitted, choosing not to look at anyone as he spoke. “Of course she was happy to see Clary and meet Isabelle and I but it didn't take long for her to ask about Simon. What were any of us to do but lie? Clary assured her that he was fine but as any mother would, she didn't believe her. No matter what Clary said, the poor woman knew she was being lied to.

“She was in tears within minutes of realizing that she wasn't going to get a truthful answer. She told us repeatedly that no matter what he'd done or where he was that he could always come home, that she was his mother and she loved him. And I realized in that moment just how right she was. Here we were, keeping this woman's child from her! How could we do that to her? Simon has control of himself now. He's not a danger to his mother. She needs him and as much as I wish for him to be mine, he's not. He already had a loving parent and we're breaking her heart by keeping her son away from her. I knew he wouldn't leave here willingly so I decided to make him leave. I only hoped he'd make the right decision and go home to his real family.” Magnus finished with tears streaming down his cheeks.

“He did, you know.” Alec said softly. “I found him standing outside his mother's house.” Magnus breathed a deep sigh of relief. “But I brought him back here. Because, despite your best intentions, Magnus, you were wrong. This is his home. We are his family. He belongs with us.”

“But he-” Magnus began to argue, his eyes finally coming up to rest of the boys in front of him only to see that Simon was awake and sitting up between Jace and Alec. “He's awake.” He said, wide eyed.

“I thought,” Simon started, stopping only in an attempt to swallow past the lump that had formed in his throat. “I thought you hated me. I thought I'd done something so horrible that you couldn't even stand to look at me anymore. Magnus. You broke my heart.” He said and Magnus felt his own four hundred year old heart shatter within his chest. 

“Why didn't you just tell him that, Magnus?” Jace asked and Magnus took a moment to blink past the tears that had pooled in his eyes. “Why not just tell him the truth and let him make his own decision?”

“Because I was afraid of losing him.” Magnus admitted, his voice breaking. “Which I did anyway when I pushed him away. But I thought, if it was my decision, my choice for him to leave, that it wouldn't hurt as much as if it were his own.”

“And did it?” Alec asked. “Hurt any less?” Unable to answer, Magnus shook his head wildly, tears pouring from his eyes, his hands clasped tightly over his mouth in hopes of keeping his sobs at bay.

“Magnus, I know my mom misses me. I know I've messed up big time when it comes to her and my sister but, but you can't just make a decision like that for someone on your own! I'm not, I miss her, okay but I'm not ready for her to know what I am yet. I can't do that to her. Its enough that I ran away but for her to know that everything we thought was make believe is real? No. No, I won't do that to her. That's why I stay away. Not because I don't think I can handle being around her or because I don't miss her and Bec but because they don't need all this supernatural bullshit in their lives.” Simon explained and Magnus winced. Of course that made sense.

“I got news for you though, Magnus,” Jace said. “If you thought for one second that I wouldn't follow his skinny ass wherever he went, you were seriously mistaken. So you wouldn't have just pushed Simon away, man. You'd have pushed me away too.”

“I love you, Magnus. More than I ever knew was possible but you made a mistake. I suppose it was bound to happen after a few hundred years but you can not pull this on one of us again, okay? I'm always going to be here for you, with you but please, don't make me lose this family. I refuse to repeat myself to listen up, vampire,” Alec said, turning slightly to face Simon. “I love you, okay? You're the little brother I never expected to have but somehow always wanted. I know I have Max but he's not around like I want him to be and that's not to say you're a replacement for him because you aren't. You're just, unexpected. Unexpected but not unwanted.” He finished with a smile, laughing happily when Simon threw himself into his arms, hugging him tight.

“I am so, so sorry,” Magnus cried. “I made a mistake. I was wrong.”

“Yeah, you were,” Simon said, standing from his spot on the couch and moving closer to Magnus. “But we all make mistakes. I can't hold it completely against you. It hurt but you're family and I know you didn't really mean what you said now so-”

“I didn't!” Magnus exclaimed. “I could never mean any of that! You mean so much to me!”

“Then I forgive you. As long as you swear never to do something like it again.” Simon said, smiling slightly as Magnus eagerly agreed. “One uh, more thing. About what you said. I've uh, not had a dad in a long time so if I made you uncomfortable by looking at you as one, I'm sorry.” He said nervously and Magnus felt his heart break once more.

“I will never be able to have my own biological children. As a warlock, its just not possible for us to have that so over the years I've adopted many downworlders as my own. Some I dearly and truly loved and some I genuinely cared for. Raphael will always be my first child, the one that managed to make it past my walls and make himself at home in my heart but you, you have to know that you're the second. I would be proud to call you mine, my son.” Magnus said carefully, his eyes once again filled with tears.

“I know I've called you dad jokingly before but I, can I, is it okay to...” Simon trailed off, unsure of how to proceed.

“Darling, you may call me whatever you wish.” Magnus whispered earnestly as he welcomed Simon into his arms, both crying as they held onto the other.

“Thank the angels that's over.” Jace groaned as he slumped back against the couch. “Think we should leave them alone to talk?” He asked, eyeing them as they whispered urgently to one another.

“There's a lot they need to talk about so we might as well get started on dinner.” Alec said, standing and stretching his arms over his head. “We're just going to get dinner started, let you two have some privacy.” He said, interrupting the two in front of them.

“Alexander...” Magnus said but Alec waved him off with a smile and a quick kiss to his lips. 

“Its all forgiven,” Alec said as he ruffled Simon's hair affectionately. “Just maybe next time you have an idea, you come to one, or all, of us and we'll figure it out together.”

“Of course.” Magnus eagerly replied, a hesitant smile on his face.

“Its what families do, right?” Simon asked, a grin now on his face. He laughed when Jace pressed a loud, smacking kiss to his cheek before he and Alec turned in the direction of the kitchen, both laughing at something the other was saying.

“Family?” Magnus questioned and Simon's grin melted into a soft smile.

“Dude, I've got a killer hot boyfriend, an older brother that would probably kill for me and a dad that's so worried about my relationship with my mundane mom and sister he risks his own happiness for theirs? Come on, what more could I ask for?” Simon teased and Magnus could only hug the boy tighter. They'd figure this whole family thing out eventually. Simon was sure of it.

**Author's Note:**

> I think I'm gonna give these four a break in the next part. Maybe write them at the zoo or something. They deserve it after all I've been putting them through. XD
> 
> Edit: Yeah, so, if this part is that bad or offensive, please, tell me and I will delete it. Its not my intention to vilify any of these characters, especially not Magnus. I can just be finished with this series if that many people feel the way the first commenter feels. There's no point in wasting my time if I'm going about this entire series wrong. :/
> 
> So, for me, its really discouraging to receive comments like that so until further notice you can consider this series is on hold. Thanks anon, that's really awesome of you to make me second guess everything I've written now. Like I don't deal with enough bullshit in my life as it is. If you didn't like this series, why say anything? Why make someone feel bad over something they wrote? I know its not the greatest little series but I was sort of proud of it. If you've got something to say though, you're going to have to come off anon because I'm turning anonymous comments off.


End file.
